SUSCIN announces free workshop [Reading, June 16th 2011] to help SMEs in the South East market and commercialise their eco-products

May 30th 2011…A European funded project focused on innovation, supply chains and environmental issues – SUSCIN – will run a free workshop called “Marketing Your Eco-Product” at The First House – Shehnai, Reading, on June 16th to help SMEs market and commercialise their eco-products.

The workshop is a collaboration between SUSCIN and the Thames Valley and Hampshire-based Sustainable Business Partnership.

The workshop will be led by Martin Charter, Director of the Farnham, Surrey-based Centre for Sustainable Design, which is the lead partner in SUSCIN. Martin is a veteran green business consultant, with more than 20 years experience in “business sustainability” and the author of three publications on marketing and sustainability.

Martin Charter, Director, CfSD

Martin says, “SMEs in the Thames Valley are strong on R&D, manufacturing and distribution and include eco-innovative companies that have very interesting greener products and technologies – but suffer from a lack of experience in marketing, sales and communications. That is where the workshop comes in.

“It will be useful for MDs, CEOs, directors and marketing personnel and will cover a range of issues related to product development, pricing, promotion and distribution.”

Martin will introduce the 12!s, 11Ps, 5Is and 8Cs “green marketing” frameworks that focus on market intelligence gathering, marketing strategy development and communications issues “which many companies find useful because they typically lack resources and specialist knowledge,” he says, adding:

The workshop is targeted at (i) companies that produce and/or distribute environmental, low carbon and resource efficient technologies, products and services (ii) companies that wish to understand and promote the “green” features and benefits of their existing and new technologies, products and services.

The workshop is free to SMEs based in the South-East. To book a ticket contact Ros Carruthers on 01252-892772 or email rcarruthers.t1@ucreative.ac.uk Registration is at 08.00 for an 08.30 start and the workshop concludes at 12.30, followed by a free lunch.

The Sustainable Supply Chains Through Innovation (SUSCIN) project provides a range of business support to SMEs in SE on ‘green innovation’ advise on sustainable procurement. SUSCIN is funded by South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the South East ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007–2013.

More information on The Centre for Sustainable Design http://www.cfsd.org.uk
The Centre for Sustainable Design (CfSD) was established in 1995 at University for the Creative Arts http://www.ucreative.ac.uk . The Centre provides a range of services focused on ‘product sustainability’ and ‘sustainable innovation’ issues: research; training; consultancy; and events. CfSD organises the ‘Sustainable Innovation’ series of international conferences now in its 16th year – see http://www.cfsd.org.uk/events/tspd16 .

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For further information please contact:
Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design, University for the Creative Arts T: 01252-892772 E: mcharter@ucreative.ac.uk